soundtrack

I finished the first draft of the first story of my series today. It’s shit. Fortunately, there’s a good story underneath all of the rubbish, but I’m going to let it sit for a while before I try to dig it out. Tomorrow, I will start on the second story in the series.

Today, I took a little break from that part of my writing.

I have another story that’s already done, and which is just waiting for its cover before I can go ahead and release it. To be precise, the story itself is done, but there are a few details I’d like to add to it before I publish it.

One thing I noticed is that my beta readers had slightly different ideas about how the anfylk of my story look. The story works for them anyway, so I don’t consider it a major issue. I’ve also not found a good way to include a detailed description of the anfylk in the story proper.

Instead, what I’ve decided to do is add a section about the anfylk at the start of the story.

I know a lot of people have their reservations about prologues, so I’m keeping it brief, and I won’t be calling it a prologue as it’s not really part of the story itself. It’s also not required for understanding the plot.

Earlier this evening I sat down to write this not-quite-prologue, and while I wrote the song Now We Are Free, by Lisa Gerrard (from the soundtrack to the film Gladiator) came on the headphones. As it ended, I had to listen to it again, and again. No other song would do. It was the only piece of music in the playlist that fit with what I was writing.

What I was writing was essentially the creation myth of the anfylk people, albeit very brief, and the idea struck me to compile a playlist for writing creation myths. I already knew I wanted to have Vangelis’ Conquest of Paradise in it, but I had to find three more tracks in the same vein.

I didn’t find them at the time, but now, at home, a few hours later I’ve got a short list ready:

Five songs in total. It’s not much, but it’s what I do when I try a thematic playlist like this. I will occasionally make playlist like this for the main characters of my stories. I start out with a very large number of songs, and then I pick out the five songs that best represent the character.

These songs do not necessarily best represent the creation myth of the anfylk people, but they will have to represent the feeling of trying to write a creation myth for a made-up people in a fantasy story.

Whenever I start on a more serious story project I put together a playlist for the main character that reflects their personality and how I see them. Once I have a number of songs selected I pick out five signature songs and list them in a blog post along with how they relate to my character.

This time the character is Roy, a werewolf wrestling champion at the end of his career, and these are his signature songs. First is a short spotify playlist, and then there’s a youtube video of each song along with a few comments about how it fits the character.

1. Clawfinger – Bigges & The Best

Roy’s a world class wrestler and this is his theme song. He’s tough, merciless, and confident. He knows he’s the best. No matter what the critics and the press and the rising stars say, Roy know’s they can’t beat him. He’s just that good – just that tough.

2. The Phantom of the Opera

This is about the mask the phantom wears. It’s about what he hides from everyone else. There’s the obvious public face of Roy the wrestler – the persona represented by the previous song. But, there’s more than that to the mask. Roy also hides a dark secret that no one knows and that few have even seen hinted at. He hides it, and hides it well, for if people knew, they’d see him for more of a monster than just a werewolf.

3. VNV Nation – Beloved

This video is for the original version of the song, with a very sweet little animated video to go with it. However, I’d also recommend the orchestral version (Allegro Grazioso) which carries a lot more sadness in its sound, and as such is more fitting.

This song represents Roy’s love for Toini, his childhood friend who was killed in action so many years ago – and he still loves her just as much.

4. Depeche Mode – Wrong

Roy may be a world famous wrestler and multiple times world champion, but his life hasn’t been easy, and it’s not what he wanted. He’s made wrong decisions. He’s been in the wrong place at the wrong time, hung out with wrong people and said the wrong things.

Time and time again. Wrong.

Sure, he’s got fame and money, but he’s alone and disillusioned. Bitter. Cynic. A consequence of all that’s gone wrong and all he’s done wrong.

5. Empathy Test – Here is the Place

There’s also a charming live version of this song here. It’s well worth watching, but I’d recommend familiarizing yourself with the album version first.

Of the previous songs, three are of a failed and miserable past, and one is about a fake public persona. This is the song for the future Roy dreams of. It’s about going home to where he came from and to where he belongs. It’s about nostalgia and it’s about having somewhere you belong and where you’re safe.

Final Comments

There are plenty of songs that qualify, but didn’t make it. I could easily have picked five tracks by VNV Nation alone.

As a character, Roy is pretty sad. He’s had a tough journey, and he’s close to giving up, but he’s not a quitter. He’ll keep going. Stubbornly, stupidly, until there’s nowhere else to go and nothing left to do. He’ll deal with it when he gets there. That’s just the way he is.